Dania

Annabel has goes on MOAR adventure

Pulling their coats’ hood over their heads, Annabel watched carefully to see who from the people she could recognize. She saw a little girl of three years with long brown hair and silver grey eyes walk out of her apartment building. She notified Ethan and Jack to wait in the alley and she walked towards her.

“Hello Dania,” she said taking the girl in her arms. Dania smiled and giggled and said, “Annie! I miss you!”

“I miss you too,” she said, “Hey I’m going to be away for a little bit and I came to say ‘good bye’. Take care of your brothers and your mom and dad, okay? And I know you lost your doll. I’ll try to bring one back if you’re a good girl, okay?”

Dania hugged Annabel’s leg when she was put back on the floor. Annabel came down to her eye level and kissed her rosy cheeks and walked off.

She signaled for the boys to come out of the alley and continue. Once they reached the entrance to the pub, Anna ducked behind Ethan and Jack when she saw Adonis Cerchac, the NDAE’s Medical Examiner. She saw him in his casual clothes, rather than in his dark blue ME suit. Anna hated blushing whenever he was around. There was something about him that made her feel … aware?

“Hello.”

She jumped and saw Adonis looking at her. His green eyes, Midnight black hair and tall frame. She felt her cheeks warming up and looked away before he saw her reddening. “Oh hey Adonis,” she said. “Never thought to see you at Bertie’s, what’s up?”

“No I don’t like going into Bertie’s, it’s disgusting in there. I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. They would scare a pretty girl like you and force you to table dance. ”

“Well thank you Adonis,” she said smirking, she could smell his cologne from a mile away. He smiled back and asked, “Listen, I don’t think we have really gotten to know each other and I thought, maybe, we can do something together? I know you have this big thing going on and your father, but I want to make it up to you, make you feel better. Well let me know. Okay?”

He gave Annabel a piece of paper, winked and walked off. Ethan turned his head toward Adonis’s back and scoffed.

“Anna, what’s a matter with you? You shouldn’t associate with boys out of your age group.”

“I’m going to be 18 soon and there is only an eighteen month age difference.”

“Did I say age group, I meant league?”

With one quick movement, she slapped him and with red cheeks she said, “Well, what’s it to you?! What particular interest do you have in my life?! If I want to go out with someone do I have to consult you?! You aren’t-“she stopped, “Come on, let’s just go…”

She walked into the pub and checked for the old bartender, Bertie. He was busy, preoccupied by a fair maiden. B*****d finally got lucky tonight… she thought.  Bertie was getting his “thang” together; he didn’t notice Anna and the boys sneak into the cellar.

 

In the wine cellar, they followed her in the dark, making their way through barrels of every alcoholic drink Bertie’s toadies could get their hands on. Occasionally they would pass by an illegal drink, banned by the government and/or from another country…

Soon enough they were able to find the stairs leading to the back but it was locked. Annabel easily picked it but the boys hard to smash their way through to open the doors.  Outside, there was a wall, on the other side, the desert connected to Amelia, “The Forgotten Country”.

“It has been called ‘forgotten’ for many reasons,” said Jack, “being ruled by a ruthless dictator, an accidental bombing caused by us…  Twenty years ago I think?”

While he muttered on, Anna walked around the area, examining until she stopped in front of a manhole cover. She pried open the top and she peered in. She whispered to the boys to follow her. She jumped in and landed on sand, through her boots, she could still feel the sun’s warmth. There was a torch lit, and a dark tunnel. Torch in hand, they wandered through for ten minutes of silence. Ethan spoke up, “Hey Anna? Where are we going?”

It seemed like a long time when finally answered, “When I was younger, me, my brother, my mom, and my dad lived together… But then my mom died when I was barely a year old. That’s when the fighting began… between my dad and Seiya… At age four I met you and your grandfather, Ethan. You guys took me in when it was too dangerous in the house. When I was eight, Seiya moved out cos he had enough of my father. A load seemed to have been lifted off my dad’s shoulders and he got along just fine without him. Seiya left with his friends and joined the Angel’s Protection Circle, a rebel group against our government cos of the bombing in Amelia…. They think it’s on purpose rather on accident… Or joined the group just to tick off Dad… That’s where we’re going… to the Circle… Huh… The last time I saw Seiya was when I got the Smile…”

She traced the outline of her scar all around, and to her lips.

“Hey Anna,” Jack began, “Why is it that you- Whoa! Hey!”

Someone had grabbed from behind and had gotten Ethan too. She felt someone grab her but she pushed it away but dropped the torch, extinguishing the flame. In total darkness, she fought blindly, but then was struck from behind and fell further into the darkness…

Author's Note

sorry if it short